Northeast Mississippi Community College Athletics

Dontae’ Jones is often hailed as one of the best players to ever put on a black-and-gold uniform for the tradition-rich Northeast Mississippi Community College men’s basketball program.

Jones led the Tigers to 51 wins against just 14 losses during his tenure in the City of Hospitality from 1993-95. He also helped Northeast capture four major championships in his two seasons.

The Nashville, Tenn., native was part of perhaps the highest scoring team in school history during his inaugural campaign. The Tigers scored over 100 points in 18 separate games that season on the way to an outstanding 26-5 record.

Jones had several memorable outings during Northeast’s pre-Christmas slate. He had team-highs of 28 points against Calhoun (Ala.) Community College, 23 points versus Shoals (Ala.) Community College and 36 points during a victory over Mary Holmes College.

The Tigers, who were under the tutelage of Northeast Sports Hall of Fame coach Mike Lewis, eventually climbed to as high as No. 12 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings prior to the start of the postseason.

Jones helped the Tigers gain hosting privileges for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Tournament. He tallied 35 points, which included six rim-rattling dunks, in a 115-88 win at Northwest Mississippi Community College that allowed Northeast to capture the division title.

He celebrated again one week later as the Tigers won their first MACJC state championship since 1988 in front of their fans inside Bonner Arnold Coliseum. Jones notched 18 points as one of five double-digit scores in the title tilt.

Jones was a MACJC All-State first-team selection in his first year at Northeast after averaging a double-double with 25.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. He was a 50-percent shooter from the field overall.

The 6-7 guard increased his productivity even more as a sophomore. He became the 11th player in program history to earn distinction as a NJCAA All-American after posting 28.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Jones lifted the Tigers to 10 wins in their first 11 tries, including big wins over Columbia State (Tenn.) Community College 104-98, Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College 114-95 and Mary Holmes 128-102.

He had game-highs of 25 points and 14 rebounds in the Jackson State matchup. Jones also had standout performances in the second half the season with 34 points during a home triumph over Itawamba Community College and 28 points with five dunks in a victory versus East Mississippi Community College.

Jones and the Tigers claimed another MACJC North Division crown, which was the third straight in as many years with Lewis at the helm, before hitting their stride in the NJCAA Region 23 Tournament at Mississippi College’s A.E. Wood Coliseum.

Northeast cruised into the title matchup with a 91-66 decision over Meridian Community College and a 105-85 win versus rival Northwest in which Jones tallied 35 points.

The Tigers then defeated defending champion Bossier Parish (La.) Community College in a tight 95-89 ballgame to clinch the seventh berth to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in program history. Jones led all scorers in the contest with another 35-point effort.

Jones cemented his legacy at Northeast with a sensational showing in Hutchinson, Kan. He recorded three double-doubles, including 24 points and 21 rebounds in the Tigers’ consolation bracket semifinal contest against Vincennes (Ind.) University, to earn a spot on the All-Tournament team.

He was showered with MACJC All-State first-team, NJCAA All-Region 23 and NJCAA All-Region 23 Tournament honors in addition to his NJCAA All-American and NJCAA Division I All-Tournament recognition following Northeast’s 25-9 campaign.

Jones amassed whopping totals of 1,648 points, 751 rebounds and 111 assists with the Tigers. He made 643 field goals for a 50-percent shooting percentage and was a 62.6 percent free throw shooter.

Jones extended his collegiate career by signing with Mississippi State University following his tenure on the Booneville campus. He was a catalyst for what was perhaps the best season in school history in 1995-96.

The Bulldogs captured their first-ever Southeastern Conference (SEC) Tournament championship with an 84-73 marquee win over the University of Kentucky, which was then the No. 1 ranked squad in the country.

Mississippi State, which was the top seed from the SEC West Division, also bested Auburn (Ala.) University and the University of Georgia to reach the title game inside the Superdome. Jones posted 21.3 points over those three victories to earn Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors for the 1996 SEC Tournament.

Jones continued his brilliance in the postseason by guiding the Bulldogs to their inaugural NCAA Final Four appearance. He scored 16 points, which was second most on the team, in Mississippi State’s semifinal loss to Syracuse (N.Y.) University in East Rutherford, N.J., at the Continental Airlines Arena.

He received NCAA Southeast Regional MVP honors after averaging  15 points in wins over Virginia Commonwealth University and Princeton (N.J.) University at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Ind., and the University of Connecticut and the University of Cincinnati (Ohio) at Kentucky’s Rupp Arena.

Jones contributed 14.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game during his lone season at Mississippi State. He was recently elected to the 2017 Allstate SEC Basketball Legends Class, which showcased former greats from all 14 SEC member institutions.

He decided to forego his senior campaign with the Bulldogs and was selected with the 21st overall pick in the first round of the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft by the New York Knicks.

Jones was traded to Boston’s storied franchise prior to the 1997-98 NBA season. He played one full year with the Celtics and set a career-high with 15 points in a victory over Golden State on February 27, 1998.

He concluded his professional career over the next decade by playing overseas in China, Greece, Italy, Korea and Turkey. Jones was the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) scoring champion in 2008 with 32.3 points per game for the Yunnan Bulls.